Why Did Yangcheon-gu and the 17th Arrondissement of France Establish a Sister City Relationship?

[Seoul District News] Yangcheon-gu to Hold Online Sister City Ceremony on 28th; Promises Active Cooperation Between Two Cities to Foster Exchange and Development in Culture, Tourism, Food, Environment, and More ... Yongsan-gu Completes Climate Crisis Action Activities

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Kim Soo-young) signed a sister city agreement with the 17th arrondissement of Paris, France, on the 28th at the Yangcheon Digital Media Center on the 3rd floor of the district office. The signing ceremony, held online in real time, took into account the 7-hour time difference between the two cities and took place at 5 p.m. Korean time and 10 a.m. French time.

At the signing ceremony, Kim Soo-young, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, Seo Byung-wan, Chairman of the Yangcheon District Council, Lee Ji-tae, Director of Yangcheon Cultural Center, and Kim Shin-ah, Chairman of the Yangcheon Cultural Foundation, attended as representatives of Yangcheon-gu. From the 17th arrondissement of Paris, Geoffrey Boulard, Mayor of the 17th arrondissement, Catherine Dumas, French Senator, and Yoon Dae-jong, Korean Ambassador to France, participated.

Also, Philippe Lefort, French Ambassador to Korea, attended online and delivered a congratulatory speech expressing hope for continued exchange and cooperation between the two cities, adding prestige to the event.

Through this agreement, the two cities will actively cooperate to promote various exchanges in common areas of interest such as culture, tourism, food, and environment, discover and develop excellent policies, and create synergy effects for both cities.

The 17th arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 districts of Paris, located in the western part of the city. With a population of 168,000 from diverse social classes living together, it is nicknamed the "miniature Paris." In addition to 52 elementary and secondary educational institutions, universities, and research institutes, the 17th arrondissement houses famous music schools (Cortot) and culinary and hotel education institutions (Ecole M?d?ric). The Clichy-Batignolles eco-district within the 17th arrondissement is recognized as a representative case of sustainable urban development, built on the site of former railway facilities.

Yangcheon-gu views this sister city agreement as an extension of the diplomatic relations between the two cities that have been ongoing since last year and as a foothold for mutual development. Previously, in September last year, the district held a meeting inviting ambassadors and representatives of the Korea-France Parliamentary Friendship Association, and in December, an online video conference was held to discuss exchange projects and the sister city agreement.

Also, parks commemorating Korea-France exchanges exist in both cities: Paris Park located in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, and Seoul Park located in Paris symbolize the friendship and camaraderie between the two countries. Paris Park is currently undergoing renovation and is expected to reveal its new appearance to residents in mid-April.

Mayor Kim Soo-young said, "This agreement not only reaffirms the friendship and cooperative will between the two cities but is also expected to be a great driving force for promoting practical exchange cooperation by sharing common interests and discovering best practices. In particular, we will actively pursue urban diplomacy to soothe the hearts of people exhausted by the COVID-19 pandemic and to create a sustainable community culture."

Meanwhile, Yangcheon-gu has sister city agreements with Chaoyang District in Changchun City, China; Canterbury-Bankstown City in New South Wales, Australia; Nakano Ward in Tokyo, Japan; and Grecia City in Alajuela Province, Costa Rica.

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Sung Chang-hyun) promoted the climate crisis action campaign "The Courage We Painted" to raise practical civic awareness about the climate crisis.

"The Courage We Painted" is organized by the Yongsan-gu Village Autonomy Center and consists of three stages: ▲Education (Courage Practice School) ▲Action (Our Neighborhood Tidying Up) ▲Campaign (Courage Relay).

The Courage Practice School was designed to encourage village residents to take an interest in the climate crisis and practice eco-friendly living. Environmental experts in various fields served as instructors, and 60 local residents participated in the online education held three times (March 10, 11, and 14). The education topics were ▲The Village Saves the Earth ▲Do Not Steal from Future Generations ▲Waste Separation and Disposal.

The "Our Neighborhood Tidying Up" practice activity (hereafter called Tidying Up) was planned and organized by residents themselves to address alleyway trash problems, with activity times announced in advance to gather participants.

In March, Tidying Up activities were held in Yongmun-dong and Wonhyo 2-dong (15th), Itaewon 2-dong (16th), Yongsan 2-ga-dong (19th, 26th), Huam-dong and Cheongpa-dong (21st), and Hyochang-dong, Yongmun-dong, and Hannam-dong (22nd), with 150 residents participating.

Lee Dong-sook (52), who participated in Tidying Up, said, "It’s been a long time since I held tongs (trash grabbers)," and added, "It feels rewarding because the village quickly became clean when many people joined."

The district also conducted a resource circulation relay campaign using environmental practice cards prepared by the Yongsan-gu Village Autonomy Center. Especially on the 21st, a campaign was held at Huam Market (photo). Elementary school students who finished their classes visited the site and pledged to use handkerchiefs, walk more, and reduce disposable products.

Mayor Sung Chang-hyun of Yongsan-gu said, "Now, a week before Arbor Day, is a good time to reaffirm our determination to overcome the climate crisis," and added, "Small habits to protect the environment will accumulate to become a great driving force to save the Earth."

The district will hold a tree-planting event on April 1 on vacant land in the area. This event, hosted by the Yongsan-gu Saemaul Association, will be attended by 25 participants, including children from Malgeun Forest Daycare Center in Hannam-dong.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.